Synchronizing multiple hierarchal data structures

Abstract

Synchronization between multiple data repositories is described which retrieves tree structures that represent the hierarchical organization of the data repositories that will be or are synchronized. One of tree structures is parsed for data nodes, while the other tree structures are parsed for each such data node to find matching data nodes having corresponding hierarchies. Moved nodes are identified when a matching node is found that does not have the same hierarchy in its tree structure. Similarly, deleted nodes are identified when a node is found with no match in a controlling tree structure. Data structure lists are compiled noting matching relationships and hierarchies and also noting moved and deleted nodes and their relationships with the rest of the formerly corresponding nodes. Using these data structure lists, a synchronization interface is generated for display to a user that visually compares the synchronization of the multiple data repositories.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]NoneTECHNICAL FIELD[0002]The present application relates, in general, to computerized data management and, more particularly, to synchronizing multiple hierarchical data structures.BACKGROUND[0003]In the information age, information management permeates most aspects of life. People at work or at school manage information, such as work documents, papers, research, emails, data, and the like. When these people leave work or school, they deal with personal information, such as letters, videos, pictures, music, and the like, or may even continue to deal with work information remotely. Many modern information management systems represent data to the user using a hierarchical data structure. The hierarchical structure allows for a logical grouping of the information into several levels of folders. This hierarchical organization generally allows the user to more easily access specific desired data within a much much larger data repository.[0004]...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008]Additional representative embodiments are directed to methods that include retrieving two or more tree structures, wherein the two or more tree structures represent a hierarchical organization of two or more synchronized data repositories, and traversing a controlling one of the two or more tree structures to identify each data node of the controlling one. For each of these controlling data nodes, the remaining ones of the two or more tree structures are searched for a corresponding data node having a corresponding hierarchy in the remaining tree structures. Responsive to finding the corresponding data node having a corresponding hierarchy, the controlling data node, the corresponding data node, and the corresponding hierarchy are written to a merged tree data structure. A synchronization interface is then displayed on a visual display, in which the synchronization interface is generated from the merged tree data structure and visually compares the two or more tree structures.

[0009]Further representative embodiments are directed to synchronization systems that are made up from a processor, memory operable with the processor, a visual display operable with the processor, and a synchronization application stored on the memory and executable by the processor. The synchronization application includes a data interface component configured to communicate with two or more data repositories, a mapping component configured to traverse two or more tree structures representing the two or more data repositories, wherein the mapping component traverses a plurality of data nodes of the two or more tree structures to find matching ones of the plurality of dat

Problems solved by technology

This process, however, may run into problems when data in a synchronized structure is moved in one of the synchronized locations.

Images